Sydrian
by Emii Fairhall
Summary: A romance/humour story centred around the human Alchemist and royal Moroi party boy from the Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series. Set a few weeks after the end of The Golden Lily, we follow the arguments for and against their relationship. Will Sydney do what she wants for the first time in her life, or will her duty to the Alchemists and to humanity win?
1. An Unwanted Situation

As usual, Adrian was outside smoking. He'd briefly given it up in an attempt to get me to at least gain a few pounds. He quickly found I was harder to convince than he was. I nibbled at the outside of a rice cracker, waiting for him to return. I loathed the smell of cigarettes, and he'd acquiesced to at least not smoke around me.

Our relationship was a tenuous one, and I found it very hard to resist. My core beliefs told me to stay away from anything romantic towards anyone who wasn't human, but my heart wouldn't listen. It had already plunged into this without consulting with any other part of me. I knew that if my superiors, or any Alchemist for that matter, found out about our closeness and my visits to his apartment, I would not only be pulled off Jill's entourage, but I would be thrown into the re-education centre with Keith and the key would be thrown away.

Something about this forbidden relationship I wanted to risk so much for made it all seem worth it. I'd seen the differences in Adrian since our friendship began, and I'd noticed a few in myself. He'd actually committed to college art classes and converted a room in, or most of, his apartment into a studio for his paintings.

"Pondering?"

I looked up, seeing Adrian close the glass patio door. He'd done very well, as always, to hide any evidence of smokes and he watched me as he walked over. I let go of the cross around my neck.

"A little," I admitted.

He smiled a little, letting it fade quickly. "Sage..."

"What?" I put on an unassuming expression.

He sighed and sat across from me. "It's been a few weeks and you've been acting weird."

"I've been reasonable. Excuse me if this isn't exactly a normal situation for me." I fell back on my defences.

"Reasonable being ignoring the entire thing happened?"

I looked away. I didn't want to see the hurt in his eyes. I didn't want to be that person. I didn't want...I realised I was thinking about myself, about how I would be affected if this happened. I looked back at him, steeling myself. "I'm sorry, Adrian. I didn't see this before."

"That's it?"

I sighed. "I..." I had no intention to be in this situation. I knew how Rose had broken up with him after exonerating herself. I didn't want to be her in these circumstances. I could see it going that way if I didn't handle it right. "I don't know what I am, or what I'm supposed to be. I just"-

He cut me off: "You're supposed to be you. Nothing more, nothing less. You're you. Why else do you think I was trying to get closer?"

I was not handling this well. "I'm trying to talk to you without hurting your feelings. If you'd let me talk without interruption!"

I waited for a response, but he simply watched me in silence.

I sighed. "I'm sorry. I don't want to seem like I pity you, because I don't. I believe you are capable of great things, especially if people believe in you. But I don't think you understand. I've grown up, lived and believed in the Alchemists. I understand that their belief system is a little archaic and they can get very extreme. But this is me; this is my life. Vampires and humans aren't meant to be together, and don't mention the Keepers. They don't count."

I paused, thinking ahead for my argument. Adrian took advantage of the opportunity. "Sage, I know all this. You think I haven't been listening to you or learning about you? You're talking about how you've grown up in your belief system, but you haven't thought about what it's taken me to get even this far. I grew up believing that Moroi stay together, except when furthering the dhampir race, and that humans aren't even in the equation of romance. Then…I spent some time with you."

I regretted pausing, because he made so much sense. But he also made no sense whatsoever, all at the same time.

"Adrian…" I was having a hard time coming up with new arguments. That kiss shook my world in a different way than any of the ones with Brayden. It shook my world in a way I could never have imagined. "I…can't…"

Adrian leaned back in his chair, looking as though he was choosing his next words carefully. I frowned, wondering what he was up to. He looked back at me, a slight mischievous grin in his eyes. "The answer I'd like to give probably would make things worse." He sighed. "Sydney, when I'm with you, I want to be better than I am. Not to impress you. I only wanted to impress Rose, to make her want me. I want to better myself because you make me believe I can."

This time I sighed and closed my eyes, leaning forward to lay my head in my hands. "Adrian…" His use of my first name made it even harder to resist.

"Just…let me prove it to you. I'll…I'll give up cigarettes, I'll stop drinking, I'll"-

I interrupted, looking at him: "Adrian, you're trying to impress me. I don't want you to try to impress me. I know why you do those things. I can't help being bothered by them, but I do understand why you do them." I did hate his vices, but they helped suppress spirit's side effects and they oddly made him who he was. "It's not just that you're a vampire. Even though you're Moroi. You can perform magic. What's worse is that you can control people's minds and slip into their dreams"-

"You can perform magic as well."

I sighed again. I'd almost forgotten about that. Ms Terwilliger, my history teacher and apparently volunteered magic teacher, had been having me translate spell books as part of my spare subject. Along the way, she asked me to actually put together a few of the spells. One turned out to be a fire charm and it worked, well, like a charm when Adrian and I were confronted by two Strigoi in this very apartment. More recently, Sonya Karp went missing and I had to use a scrying spell to find her. That was an unpleasant experience. However, during the raid to rescue her, I used several to get away from attackers and they were just as successful as the fire charm. I was a lot closer to magic than I was comfortable with, especially with my friendship, and now strange romance, with the Moroi I was watching.

"I know I have. It doesn't mean I'm suddenly okay with it. It's unnatural and it-it…what are you doing?"

He'd been staring at me, and what I think was my lips.

He rubbed his chin and hesitated. "Thinking about that kiss. I'm sorry, Sage, you were saying something. About magic?"

"I…yeah…" He'd been thinking about kissing me. Me, whose first kiss had happened only a matter of weeks ago. I quickly shook it off, knowing that if I continued along that tangent, I would inevitably be involved in another one. Not that I didn't want to be involved in another one, especially if it was as good as the first with him. "Um…Magic is unnatural and humans aren't supposed to be able to use it. It's not…"

"Not something that's supposed to exist?" I nodded sheepishly. He sighed. "So far, your arguments for this not to happen are: I'm a vampire, you're a human, meaning it's wrong; I can perform magic and willingly do it all the time, meaning I'm unnatural…" I opened my mouth to protest, but he kept going without leaving me an opportunity. "…; according to the Alchemists' belief system, which you yourself have admitted is archaic, this is wrong; and, there was one more…what was it? Oh yeah: it's wrong."

I sighed. "I know."

"Not once have you mentioned whether you don't want to do this or not because of how you feel. For once, forget the Alchemists." He suddenly leaned across the coffee table in between us to take my hand, surprising me. "Forget those beliefs you grew up with. Forget your dad and your family. Forget your duties and your studies. Forget everyone everywhere. What do **you** feel?"

I pulled away and looked away. I'd never thought about that, well, not actively anyway. How **did** I feel? Was this something I wanted, if I could forget about everything and everyone else? I looked back at Adrian, seeing those beautiful green eyes. I wasn't quite sure how to decide my feelings. I could try a compare-contrast between Adrian and Brayden-

"Sage?"

I blinked. "Huh?"

"You haven't said anything."

I gulped, as my mouth had suddenly become dry. "I…I honestly don't know, Adrian. I've never had to think just about myself before."

He nodded. "Then tell me something: how did you feel when I kissed you?"

Again, I gulped. I knew my exact answer to his question: my world was shaken, and definitely not in a bad way. But when I opened my mouth to answer, something quite different came out: "I can't do this, Adrian. It doesn't matter how I feel, or how you feel. I'm an Alchemist. You're a Moroi. I would be taken away to a re-education center and you would…you would…probably suffer…some consequences…of some kind…" To be honest, I didn't know the consequences in the Moroi world of hooking up with a human.

He chuckled a little, but the smile never reached anywhere near his eyes. "Well, I don't want you to be living in constant fear of going to whatever that is." He stood. "Drink?" He grabbed his own that had since been emptied and waited for my answer.

As I always did, I shook my head.

He nodded solemnly and went to the kitchen. I shifted uncomfortably. What I'd said was what I should have said. But then why did I have this wrenching feeling in my gut? I instantly hated myself.


	2. No News is not Good News

Most of my life, at least the part spent either in training for the Alchemists or with them, I'd always thought of others first. I couldn't stay in my comfort zone in this situation and nor could I leave it. If I thought of Adrian, I'd end up in the re-education centre. If I thought of myself, I'd do the same. If I thought instead of Jill and the Alchemists, I would end up breaking Adrian's heart.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and set it on the coffee table in front of me. I knew Adrian wasn't coming back out anytime soon, but I couldn't be rude like that. I wouldn't use whatever the person on the other end wanted to get out of this.

I finally decided to stand and follow Adrian into the kitchen. He was quickly downing a glass of alcohol, but didn't acknowledge me.

I stood uncomfortably, attempting to think of something to say. He sighed as he was refilling his glass. "What?"

"Um..." When I couldn't figure something constructive, I took the most Adrian route I could: "I was afraid you'd finish all the drinks by yourself."

He looked at me oddly. "Because you...don't want me to get...drunk?"

"No. Drinking alone is sad and pathetic." I hesitated. "Pour me something."

He stared as he grabbed another bottle. "Don't gulp it."

He handed me a now full glass and I sipped at it. It wasn't the first time I'd drunk alcohol, but it wasn't what I'd expected. I coughed and he put on a forced smile.

"Lightweight," he muttered as he drank the rest of his.

I turned to him. "Adrian"-

"Look, no need for a pity drink. You've got a car, keys and a license. Why don't you use 'em?"

I sighed. "You think I want to leave?"

"Listen"-

This time I cut him off. "No. Adrian, why..." I struggled for words. "Why do we have to change? I like the way our relationship is right now."

"You want to stay friends." It wasn't a question.

I didn't know how to answer. He nodded, refilled his glass again and downed it. I turned away, knowing I would need absolute concentration to get through my next argument. "Adrian, it's not because I don't feel that way, and it's not because I...well I anything. I don't want to hurt you and I don't want to leave you, but if this happens, I'll be spending the rest of my life locked away, while Alchemists who think they know better debate over my fate. And no, I'm not saying no because you're a vampire. That's my problem and I know how I feel about..."

"'Undead creatures of the night?'"

I looked at him and we both chuckled. Before I'd befriended Rose, I was very anti-vampire. I was pretty much anti-everything-that-wasn't-human. But I tolerated dhampirs and Moroi simply because the Alchemists chose that the Strigoi were the biggest threat to humankind. I began calling Rose an undead creature of the night and I still do actually. But more recently, it's been in jest.

"Magic. I was going to say magic," I replied.

He nodded. "Right. Go on. It sounds like you've got quite the speech prepared," he answered bitterly as he poured another drink.

I sighed. "Please don't do that. You know why I can't. At least you should if you've been listening to me."

"Right. It…you can't be with me because it's wrong according to a bunch of people a very long time ago, back when people thought the Earth was flat; and because the Alchemists, whom you've admitted have a very archaic and screwed up belief system, believe it's wrong. You've never once said you think it's wrong." He shook his head and turned away.

I shook my head as well. "I didn't say their belief system was screwed up. I did say archaic, but I don't believe their belief system is screwed up. Just…a little extreme and maybe a tiny outdated."

He spun to look at me, pointing a finger at me. "There! You said it again!"

"What? I said what again?"

He breathed out. "You said **their** belief system. You said it **three** times! The first time I thought you might have misspoke, but you said it **three** times!"

"I did? I said their belief system?" I thought back through the conversation and found he was right. "I didn't notice."

He nodded. "You don't see it as your belief system. Why does it matter to you if it's not what you believe?"

"It doesn't matter what I believe. I am an Alchemist. You're a royal Moroi. It's what and who we are that's stopping…this," I tried to convince him, but as we continued arguing, I found that I was trying more to convince myself than to convince him.

He frowned. "Yeah, that's right: I am a royal Moroi. Is that **who** I am? No! I'm Adrian Ivashkov, pretty party boy." He grinned mischievously momentarily before dropping it. "And, sure you're an Alchemist, but that's not who you are. Sage, you're so much more than just an Alchemist."

I sighed, hating the arguments he made that actually made sense. "Adrian, I'm sorry"-

I was cut off by Adrian's phone ringing loudly beside us. We both looked at it. Dimitri's last name was blinking on the screen.

"Man, what does **he** want?" Adrian leaned over and grabbed it, answering it. "What?" He listened. "Yeah, she's here." His face dropped. "Yeah, I'll…I'll bring her over. Thanks." He put the phone back on the counter and looked at me. "Uh…we need to go. That Alchemist woman you report to has been trying to call you for a few hours. There's…um…been an accident."

I stared at him. "An accident? What's wrong? Is anyone hurt?"

He nodded and looked away. "I'm sorry, Sydney. It's your mom."


	3. Breaking the Silence

My mother. Something had happened to my mother.

"Adrian, what happened to her? Is she alright? Where's my father and my sisters?" My heartbeat began racing. I panicked when he avoided my eyes and didn't answer. "Adrian!"

He looked at me. "Listen, I'll take you to the Alchemists and they'll explain. Please don't make me tell you."

"You know what happened. What happened? Where is she? Is she okay? What about Zoe?"

He turned to walk out, but I touched his arm, a tear forcing itself out of my right eye. "Adrian, please. Don't keep me in the dark. Is she okay?"

"She's…she's at the hospital. I don't know what else. I don't know where your dad or your sisters are, but only your mom was in the accident. All Belikov told me was that she was in an accident, the Alchemists were trying to get into contact with you and I had to get you to him or them as soon as possible."

I looked through the door at my phone sitting on the coffee table. It was blinking, a sign I had missed calls. I looked back at him, words escaping me. I nodded and he led me to the car. He didn't say a word, but hesitated before getting in the driver's side. I didn't look at him as we drove.

My mother had to be alright. She was always fine. She had to be. My father, my strict, no-nonsense, unemotional father would fall apart without her. Zoe…what would Zoe be without our mother watching out for her? She'd fall into the clutches of the Alchemists forever.

"No, no, no, no, no," I began muttering. I shook my head. "No, she's…she's fine. It's all a misunderstanding. Dad told the Alchemists Mom had been in an accident, but she's fine. She'll walk away with…you know, a few cuts and bruises or something, but she'll be fine. And then she'll go home and everything will be fine. It'll just…all be fine."

"You telling me or yourself?"

I looked at him. "I don't know."

He sighed and pulled over. "We're here."

I looked around. We were where Donna Stanton told me to meet her when I needed. I nodded and looked at him.

"You're not coming in?"

He shook his head. "I don't want to make things worse. Bloodsucker, remember?"

I nodded again, looking back at the place. I took a deep breath before getting out of the car.

"Sydney?" I looked back at Adrian. "I'm sure she's fine."

I nodded. "Thanks."

Feeling numb, I shut the car door and walked inside. Ms Stanton was pacing just beyond the door, her phone to her ear. She sighed in relief when she saw me.

"Miss Sage, there you are. I've been trying to reach you. Your father contacted me"-

I nodded. "I know. I apologise. I was busy. Where is my father?"

"Mr Sage is in the hospital with your mother. As is your younger sister. You can use the phone to contact them." She handed me her phone.

I nodded. "Thank you, Ms Stanton. I won't be long."

She took that as her cue to leave and walked into another room. I dialled my father's number, but Zoe answered.

She sniffled. "Jared Sage's phone, this is Zoe."

"Zoe, it's Sydney. Is Mom okay?"

She sniffled again. "I-I don't know, Sydney. No one will let me see her. They'll only let Dad in and he won't tell me anything. Where are you?"

I hesitated. "Uh, I don't know if I'm allowed to tell you. It's…Alchemist stuff. Is Dad there?"

"No, he's in Mom's room. He left his phone with me. I'm stuck in the waiting room."

I nodded, beginning to pace. My thoughts began racing, trying to figure out what had happened. "Do you know what happened? With the accident?"

"Not really. Mom was…um…she'd dropped me off at school and about ten minutes into class, the principal called me into his office and sent me home." Zoe sniffled again.

I breathed out. "Did anyone tell Carly?"

"No, Dad won't let me call her. He didn't even want to tell you. He said you were doing important work and you shouldn't be disturbed."

I frowned. "Then…If Dad didn't want me to be told, who told Donna Stanton?"

Zoe didn't answer: she just sniffled again.

"Zoe?"

"I…I sent a message to her, pretending to be Dad. I couldn't let you not know. Mom's…I got a little look in her room when Dad went in there last. She's hooked up to a lot of machines, Sydney. And she looks really bad. Cuts all over her face, Sydney." She started sobbing.

"I'm sorry, Zo. I'll…I'll see if I can get over there."

"No! No, if you do, then Dad'll know I told you."

I sighed. "Zoe, you need me. I need to be there. I need to be able to see Mom's okay."

"Who's on the phone, Zoe?" I heard my dad's voice.

"Sydney."

"Give me the phone."

I heard the phone being handed over.

"Sydney?"

I nodded. "Yes, sir."

"What are you doing? Ms Stanton was adamant that your work is not to be compromised."

"I heard, Dad. Is Mom okay?"

He fell silent. I looked out the window and saw Adrian was still sitting in the car.

"Dad?"

My father sighed. "Sydney, don't worry about your mother. She will pull through. Remember your duty and don't call again. I will call Ms Stanton with news when there is some."

"No, Dad, don't hang up! Just let me"-

I was cut off by the beep of an ended call.

"No…" I muttered, looking at the phone. I walked into the next room and handed the phone to Ms Stanton. "Thank you for waiting, Ms Stanton. I'll be returning to my duties now."

"Very well."

Without waiting for anything else, I strode through the front door and ignored Adrian in the car. I walked along the footpath until Adrian ran over to me and stood in my way. "What?"

"Adrian, please just let me go home."

He shook his head. "But they're not letting you go home, are they?"

"I meant to the school. Just, leave me alone. Now is not the time. We can debate the pros and cons of our relationship sometime when I am not numb."

He sighed. "How is she?"

"She's going to be fine. She'll pull through. My father's going to call Ms Stanton with news and I'm going to return to my Alchemist duties, as I should."

Adrian stared. I tried to walk around him, but he grabbed me by the shoulders. "Sydney, you're acting emotionless. When you got out of the car, you were on the verge of endlessly sobbing. What happened in there?"

"Adrian, go home. I need to get back to my duties."

He stared into my eyes with a troubled look. He looked over me and the look intensified. "At least let me drop you off. I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Fine."

We walked back to his car in silence. When we finally reached the school, I didn't say a word as I got out of the car.

"Sage…I'll check in on you tomorrow, okay?"

I didn't respond, but went straight to my room, curled up in my covers and sobbed through the night.


	4. A Day Off

A knock on the door spurred me out of the half-asleep-half-sobbing trance I was in. I cleaned myself up and walked over to the door.

"Yes?" I asked through the door.

"Sydney? Are you okay?" Jill's little voice answered.

I sighed. I'd forgotten about the bond between Jill and Adrian. Anything he saw and knew, she did. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just…go get ready for school. I'll see you later."

"I'm sorry about your mom. I'm sure she'll be okay."

I nodded. "Thank you for your concern."

I waited until I heard uncertain footsteps walking away from my door before I walked over to my bag to grab my phone. I didn't find it.

"What? Where is it?" I started madly searching my room and anything I'd taken to…Adrian's apartment…

I'd left it there. It was still sitting on his coffee table. I groaned and grabbed a piece of paper. I began writing a note of permission to leave the campus and to excuse myself from classes today before signing it with the signature we'd given our fake mother. Grabbing my bag and my keys, I walked out and handed it to Mrs Weathers.

"Miss Melrose? What is this?"

I looked at her. "I have to be excused from classes today. My…my mother scheduled a college interview, not realising I would have classes today. I have to go, otherwise I have no chance of getting into CSU."

"Miss Melrose, this should have gone through the proper channels prior to today, and you know that very well."

I nodded. "I apologise, but I myself wasn't aware of the appointment until last night. My mother forgets things fairly easily and she forgot to tell me until the dean called her yesterday to confirm the appointment. I promise, this will not happen again. I'll make sure to notify the school appropriately ahead of time."

She sighed, her eyebrows furrowing. She nodded. "Fine. Just this once, and only because of your previous record of behaviour and grades. Be back before curfew, and I'll let it slide this one time."

"Thank you."

I walked out, and as I approached the parking lot, groaned aloud again. I'd left Latte at Adrian's apartment as well. He'd driven me in his car. This meant I would have to call him in order to get my phone.

I looked around for a payphone, glad that I remembered his number. I headed back inside and up to Mrs Weathers.

"Hi, I'm sorry, but I've misplaced my cell phone and I have to call my mother. Is there a phone around here?"

She sighed and pointed down the hallway. I thanked her again and found the phone, quickly dialling Adrian's number. I checked the time and sighed.

Seven rings later, Adrian finally answered the phone.

"Playboy mansion?" his tired voice replied.

I rolled my eyes. "You wish."

"Sage? What are you doing calling from a payphone? Where's your…oh."

I nodded. "And I left Latte at your apartment. Pick me up?"

"Don't you have school?"

"Adrian, I need that phone. If my father or Ms Stanton try to call me"-

"Alright, fine. I'll see you in half an hour."

I began thanking him, but he hung up. I hurried outside and found a place to sit and wait.

He was late.

An hour later, he pulled up in front of the school in his car. I walked over and climbed in.

"What happened to a half hour?"

He yawned. "I'm tired. You get that sort of thing when you're still not used to waking up in daylight and you spent half the night trying to convince a girl to go out with you. How's your mom?"

"I don't know any more than I did last night." I looked away.

He yawned again. "Right."

"Are you sure you should drive? You look…well, undead."

He laughed. "Not quite. I'm fine."

He turned on the radio and we went back to his apartment. I followed him inside and grabbed my phone off the coffee table. He walked past me and I looked at him.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna try to kiss you. I'm not awake enough to even try and hit on you."

I shook my head. "That's not why I looked at you. Last night, before you dropped me back to the school, you looked really troubled and it intensified when you looked over me."

"And?" He headed into the kitchen, followed by me.

I put my phone in my bag. "Why?"

"I saw your aura. Barely. I did have a bit to drink. I didn't have to hear it from Belikov to know someone you loved was hurt. All I had to do was look at your aura. I didn't want to keep pushing you while that was still there."

I frowned, feeling a little uncomfortable with the talk about magic, but persevered. "Is it now?"

He looked at me and squinted. "A little. A lot less than last night, but it still dominates you."

I nodded. "Alright." I fell back into my dutiful self. "Well, thank you for the ride. I'll see you…some other time." I turned to walk out, a small part of me hoping he'd stop me and kiss me.

He didn't and I got in Latte, wondering where I should go as I had the rest of the day off. I felt a little disappointed that my fake excuse was more important than what I really had to do. If I wasn't always so up-to-date with my school work I would have been able to work on that for the rest of the day. As I had none to work on, I drove around until I found a bookstore I hadn't noticed before.

Parking outside, I walked in and smiled at the smell. I couldn't describe it, but happiness overcame me when I smelled a library of books, especially older ones.

I found a few books I liked the look of and settled into a reading corner to enjoy them. The first was about a girl that lived in Ancient Roman times. It wasn't historically accurate, but I could tell why its price was higher than those that were. It was intoxicating, to say the least.

She was not of noble blood, but a royal fell in love with her all the same. And why wouldn't he? She was beautiful, pure and perfect for the throne, but not entirely all there. Not only would he gain a wife of such physical magnificence, but she would never want to take the throne for herself. Not to mention the author described her hips as 'son-bearing'. In those times, sons were valued over daughters and definitely preferred. A daughter meant one day the father would have to front a dowry for her husband.

As I approached the end of the book after their marriage and when she was pregnant with their first child, I checked the time.

I still had a few hours before curfew, but I had lost track of time so much so that I had read that book for four hours.

I checked my phone in case someone had tried to contact me.

"Great(!)"

I had three missed calls and a text from Adrian: "Meet me at that coffee place you met Brodie."

I shook my head at his intentional slip-up of Brayden's name. It was close enough to tell me that he remembered his name, but disliked him enough to put a different name there. I checked the calls: one from Donna Stanton, one from Dimitri and one from Eddie.

I called Ms Stanton back first. "Hello?" she answered.

"Ms Stanton. I apologise for missing your call. I was in class."

"It's not a problem. Your father called. He wished me to tell you that the doctors have some news about your mother. It's not all good, but some is."

I nodded, my heart wrenching at the thought of bad news. "May I call him now?" I didn't see why I should ask her permission, but it helped my position if I asked, as I was on assignment and that counted as a personal call.

"Very well."

She hung up before I could say anything else. I sighed and dialled my father's number.

"Jared Sage."

"Dad, I just got off the phone with Ms Stanton. She said there was news?"

"Yes. Your mother will require surgery. It is likely that without it, she will die. Although, there is a chance that may happen during the surgery as well."

I froze. "What…what did you tell them?"

"That she would have the surgery."

"You didn't talk to her about it?"

He hesitated. "Sydney, she is in a coma. She has been since they brought her to the hospital."

"How is she right now?"

"Did I not just tell you"-

`"Dad! She's my mother! Don't you dare act like she's some work for the Alchemists! She's your wife!"

"Sydney Sage, do **not** speak to me in that manner."

I groaned. "I apologise. I'm on edge because I don't know what's going on with Mom."

"I will call Ms Stanton after the surgery"-

I shook my head. "No, please. Call me. I'll send you my number."

"Very well."

Again, he hung up without allowing me to say anything more. I checked my number, just in case my memory had it wrong, and texted it to him. I then called Dimitri.

"Yes?"

I smiled. "You tried to call me?"

"Sydney? Yes, your superior, uh, Ms Stanton tried to call you."

I nodded. "Yeah, thanks. I got her message." I hesitated. "You didn't try calling Adrian, did you?"

"Actually, yes. But not at first. I tried you, Jill, Eddie and then as a last resort Adrian. I thought you would be in class now."

I checked the time. "Yeah. I went to the restroom and checked my phone."

How many people was I lying to now?

"Alright."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

He hung up. I looked at the call from Eddie, sighed and dialled him.

After a few rings, I got his voicemail. "Hey, you got Eddie. Let me know your name and number and I'll see if I want to call you back."

I hung up and texted him to let him know I'd gotten Dimitri's message. I looked back at the book in my hand and smiled. It felt so good to be able to just sit back with a book and forget about all the troubles of life. I glanced at the others I'd grabbed and, deciding I no longer wanted them, put them back. As I went to put the Roman novel back, I hesitated. It was something I could lose myself in. And there was mention of a sequel. I checked the author's name and looked about the store for it.

I happily went back to my room with four books by the same author and stacked them in my bookcase by chronological order.


	5. An Intriguing Proposal

*Sorry this chapter took so long, work got VERY hectic recently and uni decided it was going to give me a lot of assignments at once*

*Oh, and if you have any ideas for this story, let me know :) I'm doing this for you guys*

I had just finished organizing my new books when my phone beeped again. I picked it up and sighed. I'd forgotten to meet Adrian.

"Where are you?"

I replied: "I'll be there soon."

I grabbed my keys and drove to the coffeehouse. I was surprised he remembered it was where I'd met Brayden because I'd only told him once. Could he have been nursing these feelings since before then?

I walked inside and was grateful to see no sign of Trey. His questions would be unwelcome and more informed than anyone else at school. Adrian was sitting in a booth, sipping what looked like a mug of coffee, but I knew better.

I walked over and sat across from him. "It's before lunch," I told him disapprovingly.

"I know. I started so late."

I smiled in spite of myself. "Why am I here?"

"Because you were curious to see why I would meet you here of all places."

I rolled my eyes. "Adrian, tell me why you wanted to meet me. The location is not of my concern."

"Alright. But first: did you get any news of your mom?"

I hesitated and nodded. I couldn't talk to anyone else about it, especially my sisters. Carly didn't know and Zoe was likely forbidden from any phones after Dad found out she'd told me about Mom. "Yes. She has to have surgery. It's risky and she could die from it, but there's more of a chance she'll die without it."

Adrian watched me, his eyes going from sympathetic to concerned. At one point, I swore they looked deep into me, as though he was gazing into my soul. "I'm sorry, Sage. I wish I could help"-

"No, it's alright."

He nodded, realising I'd thought he meant with magic. "Alright, well, let's get your mind off it. Come on." He stood, downing the last of his coffee and yanked my hand to follow him.

"Wait, I haven't had a coffee yet!"

He laughed as we walked out. "You drink too much coffee, Sage. Live a little. See what you're like without it."

I groaned. He led me to his car and opened the passenger door for me. I was about to thank him when I remembered what had happened the last time he drove me somewhere. "I'll follow you in my car."

"No, I want you in my car."

I shook my head, holding up my keys.

"Is it so bad that I'm proud of my driving skills and want you to see them? After all, you **were** teaching me."

"Before I realised you already knew how to drive this car."

He nodded. "Right. But my point is still valid."

"Fine," I agreed reluctantly. I glanced at Latte and silently said goodbye before sitting in Adrian's car. "Where are we going?"

"You let me worry about that, milady." He shut the door, climbed in the driver's side and drove off.

I sighed. "Adrian, I do have school"-

"Which you skipped to grab your car and phone from my apartment. Why else would you have met me in the coffeehouse during class time?"

I looked at him in surprise. "You actually know when I'm supposed to be in class?"

"Well...maybe." He shrugged it off.

We drove to a seemingly secluded beach and Adrian climbed out, leading me to a bench. I looked around, wondering why he brought me there and how he found it. He sat on the bench and cleared his throat. I looked at him. He patted the area beside him, throwing a mock-sexy look at me.

I rolled my eyes, but sat all the same.

He hesitated, as though gearing up for something. I waited. "Okay. Sydney, I know now isn't really one of the better times for this. I wish I'd said this before your mom and everything, in fact I wish I'd said this straight after that kiss. But we can't change that, so here it is. I want to make a deal with you: you and I go on one date, as in I pick you up and we go somewhere fun, not like whatever you did with Brendan."

I shook my head lightly, holding back a smile.

"I get two hours within which, we do whatever I have planned, and if, after the date, you don't want to continue this, I'll step back. I won't ask again, and I'll act as though that kiss and everything that followed never happened."

I thought about it. It was a logical choice. I would be able to test out a relationship with Adrian, and as it would only be two hours, I would be able to fool the Alchemists into thinking I was doing my duty or something along those lines. He was essentially giving me a trial run and if I decided afterwards I didn't want to continue, the slate would be clean.

"Adrian, you do know the odds of us being able to have a relationship, right? I mean, I'll have to obey the Alchemists no matter what. If they tell me to take a plane to...India, I have to."

He nodded. "I know."

I considered. "Jill is not to tell anyone. Not even Eddie or Angeline."

"Why not?"

"I don't want anyone to know, and as Jill is...well, unable to not know, she has to keep her mouth shut."

He nodded. "She knows."

"Dimitri and Sonya can't know. Not even Rose."

He flinched slightly at Rose's name, but that was much less of a reaction than he usually had.

"Why would I tell Rose?"

I hesitated. "Just...covering my bases." I sighed. I was quickly running out of reasons not to make this deal with Adrian. The biggest problem I had was that I wanted more than one date. I wanted the whole nine yards: an entire relationship with him. Preferably one we didn't have to hide from everyone connected to the vampire world, but I was finding myself not caring. I wanted to be with Adrian, whether I'm with the Alchemists or not, but I knew if I wasn't an Alchemist, they'd drag Zoe in.

"So?"

I considered again. "Well, I can't think of anything that would stop us. Two hours, Adrian. That's not a lot of time."

He gave me a crooked smile. "Oh, it's long enough."

"Have you already planned this, or do I get to actually get ready for a date I know is happening in advance?"

His smile grew. "Your choice: either the two hours starts now, or in maybe ten minutes after you get ready; or we schedule it for tonight."

"So quick." I suddenly felt a little uneasy. It had felt like this with Brayden as well.

He nodded. "Are you sure you want to do this, Sage? I won't push you if you don't."

"No, no. It's alright. I...I think I want this."

His smile lit up his eyes and he seemed brighter. He pulled out a note from his pocket and handed it to me. "Don't read it til you're ready for our date."

"Alright," I replied, taking the note and putting it in my own pocket. I checked the time. "It'll have to be tonight. Class finishes in twenty minutes and I have to check on Jill, Eddie and Angeline."

"Why are you so 'in-control' of everything?" Adrian suddenly asked.

I looked at him. "Because that's my job. I'm here to oversee Jill's protection on behalf of the Alchemists."

"You know, I'm kind of surprised the Alchemists put you on this one. Especially after the Rose-hiding thing." He hesitated to say her name, but kept eye-contact.

I nodded. "They think my motivations behind that were purely selfish. I told them I thought that if she was innocent, we'd be able to exonerate her and I'd get the credit. I also said that if she wasn't, and it was proven she wasn't, I would bring her in, and still get the credit."

He raised an eyebrow. "They think you only did it so you could get a promotion or something?"

"Yes. It was the only way I could get out of it without being accused of sympathizing with vampires and being taken to the re-education center."

He chuckled. "Devious, Sage. I like it. You think like me."

"That's a scary thought."

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I looked at the screen and frowned.

"It's Eddie."

"Why?" Adrian looked at it.

I shook my head. "No idea." I answered it. "Yes, Eddie?"

"Is Jill with you?"

I looked at Adrian. "No, I thought Jill was in class." I looked at my watch again. "For another fifteen minutes. And so should you be."

"I know, but Micah asked me where she was cause he didn't see her in class. You haven't seen her?"

I shook my head. "Not since this morning. She checked on me before class. I told her to get ready for school and she did. Did you try Angeline?"

"Yeah. She's still in class and her phone's probably off."

I nodded. I looked at Adrian. "Maybe Adrian can go in and pretend there's an emergency that Angeline and Jill have to come out of class for."

Adrian nodded and led me back to the car, pulling out his keys.

"Yeah, good idea. I'll go back to class and come out when you guys can get me out."

I sighed. "Hopefully she's fine."

"Agreed."

He hung up. I looked at Adrian.

"Wishing our bond worked two ways?" I nodded. "Not as much as me. According to Lissa, bonding yourself with someone like she and Rose kind of intensifies your relationship. Jailbait and I were kind of like brother and sister before. Now it's like we really grew up together."

I nodded. "Except she's still growing up."

"And here I was thinking you were going to say that about me." He smirked and pulled away.

Not long after that, we pulled into the school parking lot.

"So, what am I gonna say? Our grandmother died?" He blinked.

I thought for a moment. Sighing, I replied: "Tell them our mother was in a car accident and she'll be coming out of surgery in the next half an hour."

"You sure, Sydney?" He looked into my eyes with concern.

I nodded. "Yeah. It's the best thing I can think of."

"Okay, go back to your room and wait for me to get you out. It won't take long."

I nodded and obeyed. Mrs Weathers noted my return as I walked past. Adrian was true to his word: it didn't take long. Mrs Weathers was knocking on my door as I was picking up my bag.

I opened the door. "Mrs Weathers?"

"Honey, I'm…I'm so sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but…uhmm…" she choked up, unable to continue. Adrian strolled up behind her, gave me a cheeky grin and put on a concerned look.

"I'll tell her. Can you get my siblings and my cousin please?" He put a hand on Mrs Weathers' shoulder.

She nodded, sniffled and walked away. I raised an eyebrow at Adrian. "How?"

"A magician never reveals his secrets. Come on, we'll wait out by my car for the others." He led me out to his car.

"You're not a magician."

He looked at me sideways. "Then what am I?"

"In popular culture, a magician is generally considered a con artist, simply able to trick the mind into seeing something that is relatively easy to explain. For example, the trick where a volunteer or assistant goes into a giant box and disappears? A trap door is used beneath the box, with a small alcove for the assistant or volunteer to hide in until the magician says the magic words to bring them back."

He grinned. "Sage, if I wanted to go to school, I would be in one." He stopped. "Ah, shit. Never mind."

I laughed. He gestured at the doors opening and I turned my laugh into tears. Eddie, Angeline and Mrs Weathers walked out.

"Where's my sister?" Adrian demanded.

Mrs Weathers looked at him. "I apologise, but she wasn't in class and she won't answer at her dormitory room."

Adrian groaned. "Fine, I'll go get her," he growled, beginning to walk off.

Angeline raised a hand. "No, it's alright. I'll get her. Besides, guys aren't allowed."

Eddie seemed slightly impressed Angeline remembered at least one rule. Angeline headed back inside.

Mrs Weathers looked at the three of us as Eddie walked over and hugged me. I was slightly startled, but remembered our cover story and hugged him, sobbing into his shoulder. Adrian patted my shoulder.

Angeline strolled back over to us a few minutes later, alone. Adrian glared at her.

"Where is she?"

Angeline looked at him. "Not in her room."

"What?!"

Adrian growled something and stormed inside.


	6. Missing

*Here's a rough version of chapter 6 that I just finished now. If there's any mistakes or something, sorry. As I said, if you've got any ideas, I'm all ears as I am quickly running out of ideas*

Jill wasn't in her room when Adrian went to get her. He came back to us in the parking lot, grumbling with a sour look on his face. He strode straight to Mrs Weathers and stood over her.

"Where is Jill?" he asked.

She looked at him, startled. "P-pardon me?"

Adrian may not be a guardian, trained for combat and scaring the living daylights out of someone, but he was good at it when he wanted to be.

"My sister, Jill..." he hesitated, trying to remember our cover. "...Melrose. Where is she?"

"She was sent back to her dorm after gym class because she had fainting spells throughout the class. She wasn't allowed off-campus and she never left. She should still be in her room"-

"WELL, SHE'S NOT!" Adrian roared at her.

Mrs Weathers cowered. Eddie and Angeline were taken aback. They'd never seen his angry side before.

I walked over and pulled Adrian away from her. "I'm sorry about my brother, Mrs Weathers. He's distraught. We're all worried about our mother, and not knowing where Jill is only makes it worse. Please, let me talk to him."

"Very well, but if he has one more outburst like that, he won't be allowed on campus."

I nodded and she walked back inside. I turned back to Adrian.

"What the hell was that?!"

He looked at me. "Jill's not in her room. There's no note, but her school stuff isn't there."

"Shit," Eddie muttered.

Angeline looked around. "She couldn't have gotten far."

"Unless she was in a car," I replied.

She nodded. Eddie sighed. "Angeline and I will search the perimeter of the campus and try her phone as we do. You two take the car and go to all the places she might have gone if she did leave, like that modelling place."

I nodded and led Adrian back to the car as the dhampirs walked away, splitting up. That guardian training of Eddie's really showed when he took charge. Angeline seemed impressed.

Adrian turned away from me and yelled something incomprehensible. I looked at him. "What was that?"

He looked at me. "I'm trying to find Jill."

"By screaming?"

He nodded sheepishly and climbed into the passenger side, handing me the keys to his car. When I climbed in, he'd slid down the seat a little and was playing with his buttons. "This must be what Lissa felt like when Rose went into hiding. Except Lissa knew Rose was with Belikov and you. She knew she was, at the very least, safe."

I sighed. "We'll find her, Adrian. She's a fifteen year old Moroi with jade-green eyes. I don't think it's that easy to lose her."

"Fine. Where do you want to look first?"

I considered. "Lia DiStefano's store." Even though I'd told Lia that Jill wouldn't do any more modelling, it wouldn't be the first time Jill had gone behind my back about it. I just didn't want to think she'd skip school for it, at least without telling someone where she was going.

He nodded. "Well, take me there, oh noble one."

I rolled my eyes at him, but drove to Lia's shop. There was no sign of Jill, but Lia saw us walk in. She strolled over, smiling at a customer.

"Sydney." She beamed. "Have you reconsidered? Jill is incredibly talented"-

I shook my head while Adrian looked around for her. "No, I'm sorry, Lia. We're just looking for Jill, and thought we should check here just in case. Have you seen her?"

"Not since the last time you said no," she replied, somewhat bitterly.

I nodded. "I've told you why she can't model for you, Lia. It's against our"-

"-Religion, I know. But what if I"-

I interrupted, walking past her, with Adrian following. Adrian leaned over to me. "That was rude. So unlike you, Sage."

"I've had that same conversation with her many times. I don't want to rehash it anymore."

He nodded. "You see her?"

"No. Let's move on."  
We walked out and as I was about to start the car, my phone buzzed insistently. I pulled it out and answered.

"Hi Eddie, any luck?"

He sighed. "Not really. Angeline's kind of fascinated with all the rubbish she finds on the perimeter. You?"

"Not at Lia DiStefano's."

"You really thought she might have gone there? After all those 'no's you said?" He chuckled.

I made a face. "Not you too. You know why"-

"Yeah, I'm just joking with you. How's Adrian?"

"Fine...why?"

"Well, that was one hell of an outburst before. I didn't realise he felt that strongly about Jill."

I looked at Adrian and put the phone on speaker. "Eddie, can you say that again? The phone connection broke up."

"I said, that was one hell of an outburst before. I didn't realise Adrian felt that strongly about her."

"About Jill?"

Adrian looked at me and then at the phone. Eddie hesitated. "Yeah. Why?"

"Nothing. Keep looking. Did you have any luck on her phone?"

"Nup. Just voicemail." Something in the background broke off whatever his next words were. "Hang on."

I raised an eyebrow, frowning. "Eddie?"

"Yeah, we found something. I'll call you back."

He hung up before I could stop him.

"What did they find?" Adrian asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know. You heard the same thing I did."

"What else did he say?"

I sighed. "Not much. They didn't find her around the perimeter."

"Alright. Where to next?"

I looked around. Where would a teenage royal Moroi girl go instead of school, and why wouldn't she tell anyone? I handed Adrian my phone.

"Call Jill's number and let me know what happens." I pulled away from the curb and began driving, having a look around the streets. It was an old-fashioned method of searching, but it worked.

Adrian put my phone to his ear and made a face. "Voicemail. Didn't even ring. Man, why is this stupid bond only one-way?!"

"If she's awake, she knows how worried you are about her. She'll get the message and, if she can, she'll find us." The car suddenly stopped and Adrian jumped.

"Sage! What was"- he cut himself off.

He saw the same person I did, standing inside a building up ahead. She had chalk-white skin and red hair. I couldn't see her eyes, but I had a feeling they would be redder than her hair. She smiled at us, baring her fangs and closed the door.

"Wha..." Adrian began, his voice fading away as he looked at me.

I was completely frozen. While I had become accustomed to Moroi and dhampirs, I was still absolutely useless when it came to Strigoi, despite fighting one with a fire charm in Adrian's apartment.

"Sage...Sydney? Are you...are you alright?" His voice changed from disbelieving and terrified to concerned and terrified. "Sydney!"

I turned to him, a twitch in my throat forcing me to cough. "What?"

"You were frozen."

I turned back to that door and couldn't get her face out of my head. Those eyes. Those penetrating and soulless eyes. They were worse than Sonya's when she was a Strigoi. Sonya's were...well...Rose said she was a new Strigoi: less than a few years old. She described another Strigoi as older, with absolutely no life in his eyes. That was what her eyes were like.

"Sydney?" Adrian's voice sliced through her face in my mind and I looked at him. "Are you okay?"

I shook my head and swallowed. "But I will be. I'm just not used to Strigoi."

"Well, I kinda hope you don't get used to them."

"I know. Me too."

Beeps from behind us prompted me to continue driving.

"Let's remember, we're looking for Jill. Where are we going?" Adrian looked around.

I shrugged. "I have no idea."

My phone began ringing. I hadn't given it a personalised tone yet, so it was just the default. Adrian made a face at it and answered it.

"Alchemist Sage's phone."

I rolled my eyes, but he stopped.

"Jill? Tell me where you are. Are you hurt?"

I pulled over some way down the road and looked at him. He put the phone on speaker.

"I...I don't know. I was going to try and find you or Sydney, but something happened."

"What? Did someone take you?"

She hesitated. "I don't know, I don't remember. All I do remember is leaving the school and then...nothing. Then I woke up...here. My phone was beside me and Adrian was...thinking...my name really loud. So loud it gave me a headache. Then I called you."

"Look around, Jill. What do you see?" I asked.

Adrian pulled out his own phone and began texting someone. Jill paused. "Um...I see a few trees. I'm on a street. It doesn't look like one around the school."

"Alright. Can you walk? Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm okay."

"Okay. Jill, can you get up and walk to the end of the street and find a street sign? Anything will help."

"Okay."

I looked at Adrian. He showed me his phone as it beeped with a message from Eddie: "We're on our way. We just have to drop something off with Dimitri first. We'll meet you at Jill when you find out where she is."

I nodded.

"Jill, can you see anything?"

"No. Hold on. Wait. What are you"-

The phone beeped, signifying the other end was disconnected.

"Jill!"


	7. What's the Plan?

[Sorry it's taken so long to upload the next chapter, but work and uni have been so hectic - exam week at uni... fun(!)]

[Anyway, here's Chapter 7, so enjoy]

[Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, except the red-haired Strigoi (she's mine) or the worldspace]

"Jill!" Adrian tried to grab my phone.

I pulled it away. "Adrian, we'll find her. Calm down! We're not going to get anywhere unless you're composed."

We locked eyes until he backed down. I looked away, in case I tried something romantic. He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Fine. How do you suppose we find her?"

"Be methodical. State the facts: everything we know. Jill was taken from the school, or from just outside it. She woke up several hours later on a street with trees. I didn't hear any traffic, or any other kind of vehicle, meaning it's either not a well-known and well-travelled street, not near a main road or a hidden alleyway. Right now, we don't have enough to start searching. We'll meet up with Eddie and Angeline to find out what they found on the school grounds. Adrian?"

He looked at me. "Yeah, I know. It's just driving me nuts, not knowing where she is. She didn't sound okay."

"She'll be fine. She's tough, and she's learned a lot from Eddie, you and Dimitri."

He tilted his head at me. "Why did you say she's learned a lot from me?"

"Because she has. In between the alcohol benders and hangovers, she's learned how to survive and take care of herself from someone who really knows how. Besides, you seem to have picked up a few things from spending time with so many dhampirs."

He nodded. "Just sounded a little weird. Where's Eddie and Angeline?"

"Dimitri's. They were going to meet us where Jill was once we found out." I pulled back onto the road and drove to Dimitri's.

A very small twitch of the curtain preceded Dimitri opening the door and walking out to us as I parked by the curb.

"Sydney, Adrian. This is a surprise."

"Hi, Dimitri. Are Eddie and Angeline here?" He nodded and waited, as though for an explanation.

I sighed. "Jill's gone missing. She skipped class and left the school, but it seems like someone took her. She woke up nearly half an hour ago on a street she didn't recognise and called us. Before she could identify her location, the call was disconnected."

"But not before we heard something that sounded to me like her kidnapper came back," Adrian added.

I glanced at him. Dimitri nodded. "Eddie and Angeline told me they were searching for Jill as well. They brought something they found on their search and asked if you two turned up here to bring you inside."

He gestured and we followed him inside, but not before I locked Adrian's car. Eddie was pacing the length of a coffee table and Angeline was investigating Dimitri's apartment. They both looked over as we entered.

"Did you find her?" Eddie asked.

I shook my head. "She called, but got cut off before we could find out where she was."

"Did you try calling her back?" Angeline replied, returning her gaze to a suspicious stain on the wall. We all looked at her in surprise. She glanced over when she heard silence. "What?"

Dimitri nodded at me. "Did you?"

"Not yet." I pulled out my phone, called Jill back, and put the phone on speaker.

After a few rings, it went to voicemail. "Hey, this is Jill. Sorry I didn't get your call, but if I have time, I'll call you back. Just leave your details and I'll do the rest."

I hung up and looked around the room. "She's not answering," I muttered as I looked at Eddie. "What was the thing you found on the school grounds?"

"Um." Eddie hesitated. He pulled a stake out of nowhere and showed it to me. "This."

I looked at it and then at him. "A stake? On a human campus?"

"Yes."

Dimitri walked over and studied it, taking it from Eddie's hands. "I've never seen these markings. They are definitely customisations done by the owner, most probably a guardian. Seems like an artistic one. Though, I've never seen this symbol before." He brushed his thumb over a few of the lines etched into the silver.

Adrian glanced at it and shrugged. "Neither."

"I only recognise the molnija over there," Eddie added.

I walked over and looked at it. I lost my balance as I grew lightheaded, but Adrian grabbed my arm to stop me from falling. "You right over there, Sage?" Adrian asked with a light tone, but a concerned edge.

I nodded. "I recognise it."

"Well, what is it?" Angeline asked.

I sighed and pulled the pamphlet from the Warriors of Light from my bag. I flipped it open and showed the others. "Look familiar?"

Dimitri looked intently at it, and then at the stake. "Indeed, that is this design. What is that?"

I read the text above and below the picture. "I'm not sure. They don't mention what it means, or where it's from. To tell the truth, I'm a little afraid to find out."

"But if there was a silver stake on the edge of a human campus, that means there are, or were, wards. Which means Jill's not the only Moroi attending," Eddie spoke up.

A shiver went down my spine. I tried to figure out which of the countless people I'd met since enrolling at Amberwood Prep, but none of them seemed to fit the Moroi description. "Eddie, have you noticed anyone that seems Moroi?"

"Nope. Not that I've been looking though. Angeline and I could check out anyone tomorrow during classes and recess. But that still leaves what we're doing about Jill."

I nodded and looked at Dimitri. "Do you have any ideas?"

"I could see if I can track her through her phone. If she or anyone with her hasn't ditched it yet. If I can't, I'll contact Abe and see if he can."

My throat tightened at the mention of Zmey. "No, leave him out of it," I snapped. Visions of Keith's eye and a pleading Carly swam through my mind.

The others looked at me in surprise. "He's got the best experience finding people"- Adrian began.

"No. I said, leave him out of this. Abe Mazur is not someone that should be interfering with this, even a little," I replied defiantly.

Dimitri nodded, but not without giving me a momentarily suspicious look. "Very well. As you wish, Sydney. I'll get started on that. You four should think of something to tell the school about why Jill won't be attending for the foreseeable future."

"I've already thought of something. Just leave it to me." Adrian nodded.

"Alright. Eddie, you and Angeline head back to the school, get back up-to-date with your schoolwork, but make sure you're in a public place, like a library. Check out anyone that seems they could possibly be Moroi. Adrian will talk with the school about Jill and our fictional mother's surgery." I looked at the others.

They nodded and Adrian looked at me. "What are you doing, Sage?"

I sighed. "I have to alert the Alchemists."

"But they'll"-

I nodded. "I know. They'll probably pull me from this. They were uncertain about me from the beginning. This will prove their doubts. But I give them reports every day. They'll notice if I try to hide it."

"What if you just smudge the truth and say that Jill was busy every day? At least until we find her and bring her back," Adrian pleaded, going so far as to go for my hands.

I backed away from him, giving him a look. "Adrian, I have to. Dimitri, don't you have to report to the queen about this or something?"

"She tells me it's unnecessary, but I still do."

I nodded. "They are my superiors. No matter what I do, they are still in charge. They protect the human world from this." I gestured around the room and at the stake.

Eddie sat down. "Sydney, I don't know if you should tell them. They're extremist and they might do something you haven't thought of."

My breath caught in my throat. If the Alchemists pulled me from Jill-Watch, they'd put Zoe on it. They'd make her an Alchemist…not that they weren't grooming her to replace me anyway, but it would be so much worse on her now that our mother's hurt.

"Sage?" Adrian took a tentative step toward me.

I looked at him. "I can't, can I? I can't tell them. They'll make Zoe an Alchemist."

"Zoe?" Angeline looked over.

I nodded. "My younger sister. They were grooming her for the Alchemists before all this happened. Originally, they wanted to put her on Jill instead of me. So I had to, as you so eloquently put it Adrian, smudge the truth. I told them I was overly ambitious and that was the only reason I helped Rose. Zoe hated me for it, but I couldn't let them expose her to this life."

"What's so bad about it that you don't want Zoe in it?" Angeline asked.

I sighed. "It's just not a life I want Zoe to have. I would kill to be able to go to Rome or Florence just…whenever I'd like. Because of this, I can't. I have to do whatever is asked of me; go wherever is asked of me. Zoe needs her freedom to live her life the way she wants."

"What about the freedom to choose the life of an Alchemist?" Dimitri glanced at me.

I shook my head. "She doesn't want to be one. Anyway, this isn't about that."

"Right. Well, then it's settled. You're not going to tell the Alchemists. Agreed?" Adrian stared at me until I nodded reluctantly. "So I'm spinning the tale for the school, Mother Russia over there is tracking Jill's cell, Sage is doing absolutely nothing…" he gave me a pointed look, "…and Thelma and Louise are checking out could-be Moroi at the school. Did I miss anything?"

"Thelma and Louise?" Eddie looked at him.

Adrian simply smiled.

"Alright. We all have our tasks." Dimitri interrupted before any possible argument.

The four of us filed out and separated at our cars. I turned around to Adrian. "Adrian"-

"Let's just find Jill before you start talking about that again." He climbed in the driver's seat and waited for me. I sat down in the passenger side and he drove away. "I'm worried about her and I don't want to stop thinking about that right now."

I nodded. I didn't think he knew what I was going to say, but I left it. "Where are we going?"

"The school. I need to talk to someone about Jill and you need to do nothing somewhere, so it might as well be in your room."

I looked at him. "I can just as easily do that helping you with the school."

"Sage, I can do this on my own"-

"And I'm saying I want to help."

He looked sideways at me as we slowed to a stop at an intersection.

"Fine. You can help. Just...pretend you're distraught over our mom or something, okay?"

I looked out the window. All I'd need to do is think about my own mother lying in a bed, anaesthetised, while strangers operate on her already fragile and broken body.

"That won't be hard," I quietly murmured.

He swore under his breath. "Shit, sorry Sage. I...I forgot."

"No, don't. We're thinking about Jill. We need to get her back. Stick to the plan. What are you thinking about telling the school?"

He shrugged. "My usual BS. I'll see if they've got security cameras that I can check out. If they don't, well, we'll find some way."

"Right. Keep trying her cell. Maybe whoever's got her will get reckless and turn it back on," I added hopefully.

He handed me his phone and I dialled Jill's number. "Hey, this is Jill. Sorry I didn't get your call, but"-

I hung up before her voicemail message could finish.

"Adrian?"

He glanced at me. "Hmm?"

"That girl in the doorway." He knew which girl I was talking about. "Why did we see her?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. Strigoi get a kick out of hunting people, taunting them. I think that's one of the only things they can feel. Belikov would know more."

"I can't get her face out of my head." And with everything else going on, I needed a clear mind.

Finally we reached the school parking lot. Adrian grabbed my hand as I reached for the door. I looked at him.

"Sage, I've got something for you. It was supposed to be for tonight, but you need something to focus you." He pulled a small chain out of his pocket and fastened it around my wrist.

It was a bracelet with one simple break in the chain: an unadorned cross. It was silver and fit perfectly for my wrist. I stared at it adoringly and looked at Adrian.

"Thank you, but you don't need to give me"-

He shook his head. "No, I do. You tried to give me your cross necklace and, although I didn't take it, I still owed you. You said you like simple and unassuming." He shrugged at the bracelet.

I smiled and surprised him with a hug. "Thank you, Adrian."

He stiffened for a millisecond, but fell into the hug. I let go quickly. It was the first time that we'd been that close since he kissed me.

"We…we should…go inside." He climbed out quickly and I smiled.

It was oddly satisfying to see the effect I had on him.


	8. Back to School

[Sorry this one took so long to post. It's been so hectic at work, and with Christmas and the whole family it was all chaos everywhere.]

[Keep an eye out for the next chapter: Adrian whisks Sydney away on their date! I'm so excited!]

I followed Adrian into the school dorm, looking at my new bracelet. It was simple, yes, but it was beautiful. Adrian knew how much I would like the humbleness, especially amongst the chaos that was my life at the moment.

"Miss Melrose"- Mrs Weathers began, standing.

I shook my head. "No need, Mrs Weathers. I'm going back to my dorm. My brother was kind enough to drop me."

"Where is your sister?"

I looked at Adrian. He squeezed my shoulder. "She's with our mother. She's the youngest and it's harder on her. I've got a note here somewhere excusing her from classes..."

He began digging around in his pockets.

We shared a look as we realised neither of us had written that. I looked at him. "Adrian, it's in the car, remember?"

He looked at me. "Right."

"I'll go get it. I'll be a minute." I walked out to his car, pulling out a piece of paper and pen. I began writing when Adrian walked up behind me.

"Why you?"

Without looking, I replied: "Because you wouldn't know what to write. This is one of my areas of expertise."

"Right. So, what's our mother's name?"

I shook my head. "No, it's not from her. It's from you."

"So why aren't I writing it?"

I looked at him. "Because I know how to word it." I finished the note and handed it to him. "Sign?"

He gave me a long smile, grabbed the pen and began to sign it.

"Don't sign it Adrian Ivashkov!" I warned.

He stopped and looked at me. "What am I supposed to sign it as?"

"Adrian Melrose. Remember?"

He thought for a moment. "Right."

He signed the paper and handed it to me. I rolled my eyes and led him back inside to where Mrs Weathers was waiting. I handed her the note and she read it. She looked at Adrian.

"Your age, Mr Melrose?"

He smiled. "21, ma'am." He began to bow, but I put a hand on his arm.

She nodded. "Very well." She looked at me. "Someone will have to collect her schoolwork."

"That's not a problem. Our brother Eddie, our cousin Angeline or I will collect it daily."

Mrs Weathers nodded, initialled the note and waved me off to my dorm. Adrian followed me as far as she would allow and I turned to look at him. "Adrian, we have to find Jill."

"I know."

I nodded. "It's my fault"-

"Don't. You've got too much on your plate now, don't even think about blaming yourself for this. It's the fault of whichever bastard took her."

I nodded again, but his words didn't convince me. If I hadn't left school that day to get Latte and my phone from Adrian's, I would have kept a better eye on Jill.

Adrian narrowed his eyes at me. "You're not convinced. Listen, Sage: Jill had Eddie and Angeline here too. Angeline's in half her classes and Eddie's in the other half! If you were here, you wouldn't have been able to notice what they didn't. You're older and in different classes."

"I have gym at the same time she does. I would have noticed she wasn't there."

"And that's probably when Eddie noticed too. Stop torturing yourself!"

I sighed. "Adrian, just… stop trying." I turned and began walking to my room.

"Sage, wait. Sage! Sydney!" he yelled after me.

I didn't look back and instead locked myself in my dorm room.

Not half an hour later, my phone began buzzing. Hoping it was Jill, I jumped at it.

"Jill?"

A masculine chuckle came from the other end, although it was more sad than amused. "No. Sorry Sydney."

I sighed. "Dimitri, any word?"

"Not yet. I called to see if you had heard or found anything."

I shook my head. "No. Adrian was going to check any security footage around the school, although I don't see how he would convince them to show him."

"I see. I'll call back in an hour, whether I've found anything or not."

"Right. I'll talk to you then, Dimitri." I moved to hang up.

"Sydney?"

I frowned and put the phone back to my ear. "Yes?"

"I have a message from Rose: don't blame yourself and eat more."

I chuckled. "Of course. Tell her I'll find the queen's little sister, unnatural creatures of the night be damned."

He chuckled as well, sounding a little more amused than before. "I'll be sure to pass on your message. She also wanted to let you know that she'd lost Jill before, so it's not all that hard. All of us have been kidnapped at some point or other."

"But not under my watch. Thanks Dimitri."

I hung up before he could try to comfort me further.

I grabbed one of my new Roman books and began reading, quickly losing myself in the magnificent writing. It wasn't until about school time for dhampirs and Moroi that my phone sounded again.

I picked it up and looked at the screen: it was Ms Stanton's number.

"Ms Stanton?"

"Good evening, Miss Sage. Your father has called with more news."

My heart paused and I took a breath. "Ye-yes?"

"Your mother is out of surgery and recovering. It's too early to tell whether she'll survive. I know the Alchemists are supposed to be distant and professional, but I'm praying for the best."

I smiled faintly. "Thank you, Ms Stanton. I'm doing the same. And thank you again for letting me know. Your kindness is greatly appreciated."

"Very well. Good night, Miss Sage."

She hung up promptly without another word.

I sighed and put my phone on the table beside me. Before I could go back to my book, it beeped again, this time with a message from Adrian: "Don't forget tonight. I'm picking you up in half…scratch that. I'm picking you up in an hour. That should give you enough time to get ready."

I shook my head. I didn't know if I should go ahead with the date with Adrian. What would we do if the Alchemists found out? I'd be sent to the re-education centre, that's if they didn't do something worse to me. And Adrian? What would happen to him? He'd probably be ostracised by his society at least. The royal Moroi that fell for an Alchemist.

The royal Moroi that fell for an Alchemist. He fell in love. With me.


	9. A Date Interrupted

[Disclaimer: All characters are owned by Richelle Mead. Except my redhaired Strigoi.]

[Sorry this chapter has taken so long. I've been working on a Romitri version intersecting with it sometime soon. That and there's been severe weather issues around my area and we've all been worried about family spread out. But we've been checking in periodically and we're all fine. Happily, the worst is over now. Just the aftermath to go now.]

[Enjoy Sydney and Adrian's first date :) *fangirl squeal*]

**[Updated with a few minor edits.]**

I quickly found myself grinning stupidly at that text message. And before long, I was at my closet looking through my choices. I didn't have much that wasn't neutral-coloured, but I couldn't imagine I would need to be brightly coloured.

I'd chosen an outfit and was pulling my hair back into a ponytail when I heard a commotion down the hall.

I opened the door and peered down the corridor.

"Look, I need to see my sister. Either you're going to get her or I am. Now pick."

I shook my head with a smile at Adrian's voice. I grabbed a bag and a coat, put the coat on over my dress and walked out.

"Mr Melrose, it's almost curfew. You can see your sister tomorrow, or you can call her. Go home."

Adrian groaned, his voice filled with evidence that he was getting frustrated. "Whatever the hell your name is"-

"Mrs Weathers, it's okay. I asked Adrian to come. I didn't realise it would be so late though." I walked over.

Adrian stopped and looked at me. "Right. What she said."

"It doesn't matter. Miss Melrose, it is almost curfew."

I nodded. "And we'll be back before curfew. Hopefully." I gave Adrian a look.

He gave a curt nod and looked at Mrs Weathers, who sighed. "Very well. But only because of your above-standard behaviour, Miss Melrose. Be tardy, and you will receive a detention."

I nodded. "Thank you, Mrs Weathers."

I followed Adrian to his car and, being a gentleman, he opened the doors for me. Once settled in his car, I turned to him and asked: "What's on the agenda for tonight? And because you were late, we have less time."

"No, no. The deal was two hours, and two hours I shall get."

I sighed. "You're incorrigible"-

"Thank you."

I smiled. "What's first?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He grinned with an almost disarming charm.

I narrowed my eyes, but he turned to the steering wheel and we drove away. I checked the time, shaking my head at the less-than-adequate time we had.

Adrian was fairly quiet through the trip. He spoke once, to ask if I wanted music. I nodded and he turned on a modern station. We pulled up in front of a restaurant and he led me to the maitre d'.

"Sir and madam," the maitre d' smiled. "Do you have a reservation?"

Adrian nodded. "Indeed we do. Under Steele, Jet Steele."

The maitre d' ran a finger along a book in front of him and his smile widened unnaturally. He looked at us. "Very good, sir. If you'll follow me, your table is this way."

Adrian looked at me and held out the crook of his arm. I took it, still feeling a little suspicious, but happy. It was a lovely restaurant.

The maitre d' led us through the restaurant, with several people turning their heads to see the latest couple. Looking around, I noticed it was a predominantly couple-based restaurant. The presently-accepted symbol for love hung across the room in various sizes and colours, and glancing at some of the plates before diners, it was present in the food as well.

Finally, we came to our table and Adrian pulled my chair for me. I gratefully sat and he took the chair across from me, pulling it over to sit beside me.

The maitre d' handed us menus, widened his smile a little further, and walked away.

I looked at Adrian, who was perusing his menu. "Adrian, what is this?"

"Sage, it's called a restaurant." He pulled my menu up a little. "It's where we order food to be cooked and presented to us for the express purpose of eating."

I rolled my eyes. "Dinner? That's what we're doing for our date?"

"Give me a little credit here. I picked a nice restaurant, I'm not ordering a drink, I'm not smoking…"

I nodded. "Non-smoking area and you can drink. I don't mind."

"Alright then." He waved a waiter over. "Can I have… a martini?" The waiter nodded and began to walk off. Adrian frowned. "Excuse me, the lady here hasn't ordered."

"Adrian, it's okay."

He shook his head as the waiter turned back to us. "Sorry, ma'am. What can I get for you?"

"Water, please." Adrian rolled his eyes. I glared at him. "One of us have to be sober enough to drive, Adrian."

He waved the waiter away and turned to look at me. "Sage, you do know you're old enough to drink, right?"

"I don't drink. I most certainly don't drink and drive." I gave my conditioned answer.

He nodded. "Right. Well, to go from one solemn topic to a depressing one; have you gotten any news of your mom?"

"No"- I cut myself off. I had received news. I didn't know why I began to say that I hadn't. "Yes, actually. Ms Stanton called me just before you sent me that message. She's out of surgery and recovering. It's too early to tell what will happen though."

He nodded. "I think it'll work out. There's no way, uh, God will take her from your family."

I looked at him in surprise. "God? But you don't believe in Him."

"I know. But you do."

I smiled. And just as quickly, my smile vanished as I remembered how I'd left him before. "Adrian"-

And once again, he seemed to guess what I was going to say before I said it. "Look, Sage. I know that Jailbait being missing on your watch isn't easy, neither is having your mom in hospital. You don't need to spare my feelings. I see how you struggle. I'm here to help. Which is why we're going to find Jill, and your mom is going to be fine."

I sighed. "How do you know what I'm going to say before I say it?"

"I'm psychic."

"No, Adrian, the correct pronunciation is psych-**o**."

He laughed. "Fine. Just lucky, I guess."

The waiter returned with our drinks, handing me a glass of water with a lemon wedge and handing Adrian a martini glass.

"Ah, we meet again," he told the martini.

I smiled in spite of myself. "For the last time, the martini hopes."

He looked at me. "Right." He held out the glass toward me. We clinked our glasses together. "To our first date."

"To a night uninterrupted."

We drank and ordered. Adrian gave me a dirty look when I ordered the salad.

"You lost the deal. I get to order what I want. I'll have the house salad, thank you."

Adrian looked away. "She'll also have the carbonara with mushrooms."

The waiter took our menus and walked away.

I looked at Adrian. "I'm not going to eat that."

"I know. But can you let food go to waste?" I nodded and he seemed dismayed. "Fine, I'll eat it."

I chuckled and took a drink. Something new in my peripheral drew my gaze for a second, but as soon as I laid eyes on it, I froze. "Adrian."

"What, you noticed I added some martini to your water?" He looked at me, smiling. His smile withdrew and he followed my gaze to see the Strigoi from the doorway across the room.

I looked at the window and noticed the lack of sunlight. I looked back at her.

She smiled back at us, baring her fangs before withdrawing into the kitchen.

"Adrian, we have to stop her"-

Adrian grabbed me before I could get up. "And what do you expect us to be able to do against a Strigoi?! Throw our food at her? Unless you've got some fancy magic gadgets in that purse of yours, we won't stand a chance."

Once he seemed satisfied that I wouldn't try to go after her, he pulled out his phone and called someone.

"Yeah, we saw that Strigoi again. In the restaurant I made reservations at for Sage. She's following us. It's like she's got something for us."

I looked at him and he mouthed 'Dimitri'. I nodded.

"Fine. I'll let you know. Keep a track of Thelma and Louise."

He hung up and looked at me.

"You told Dimitri about the Strigoi we saw."

He nodded. "He told me to keep him informed of any Strigoi in the area, in case he missed something. Besides, Eddie's not looking for Strigoi."

"Right. What did he say?"

"Keep him informed. Let him know immediately if we see her again. And he's going to meet us here."

I nodded. "She's still here, Adrian. She's not going to leave that easily. She's following me." I didn't know how I knew, but I knew. I felt it was as true as my name is Sydney Katharine Sage.

"You sure?" I nodded. "Fine. We'll go now."

I put a hand on his arm. "No, she'll be outside. We'll eat first, give Dimitri a chance to get here."

"Right. It's a bit hard to eat your dinner when you're afraid some Strigoi's going to make you theirs."

I chuckled humourlessly. I knew what he meant. I looked out the window, feeling paranoid. I wanted desperately to leave that restaurant, but I knew that she was waiting for that. Somehow she knew that I would want with every cell in my body to get out of that situation. But that would have been true with any Alchemist, and she could have come to that conclusion by seeing the lily on my cheek.

I looked back at Adrian. I couldn't enjoy my date with him now. She had ruined it, and it was going so well.

"Let's try to forget about her."

I nodded. "Right." I tried to purge all thoughts of her. "Adrian, did you say you slipped martini into my water?"

"…No." He looked away, a grin forming on his lips.

My lips mirrored his and I poured the rest of my drink into his. "There, you'll be sober by the time we leave."

"No!" He mock-yelled. "Not sober!" Several people looked over.

I laughed and he turned to me as the last few drops fell into his glass. My eyes looked into his and I realised just how close we'd gotten without trying.

Someone cleared their throat and we looked. A waiter held up my house salad. "House salad?"

I nodded and he put it in front of me. I moved back to my spot and began picking at my lettuce with my fork. The waiter placed our other plates on our table and left. Adrian pulled my chin to face him and looked into my eyes. He just peered into my eyes for a time and his emerald eyes held me there. I felt too entranced to begin eating. A small part of me whispered a wish for him to lean in.

"This…this is right. It has to be. "

My mouth found itself. "W…why?"

"I know I've told you how beautiful you are, but every look just reminds me. You are light made into flesh," he repeated what he'd told me before.

I studied his eyes for a moment. "I…" I stopped myself. I knew the words that were on the tip of my tongue. And all they would do is hurt Adrian and hurt me. I couldn't say them. But I had to. I couldn't stop myself. "…wrong…" I muttered.

No matter how loyal I was to the Alchemists, I couldn't even reject Adrian confidently.

He blinked. "What?"

I cleared my throat, and still my voice came out small. "…wrong…"

"What's wrong? What…" His eyes glared at me suspiciously. "Us?"

I nodded meekly. Something in his eyes disarmed me wholly, even of words.

"What…We…" He was dumbfounded. "You still don't think this… we are right?"

I looked down and he moved back to look at me completely. "I'm sorry, Adrian."

"No, you promised the full two hours. We haven't even eaten yet."

I couldn't gather the courage to look him in the eye.

"Maybe I was wrong about this. Maybe I was wrong about all this." He stood, pulled out his wallet and threw some money on the table before beginning to leave.

I looked at him. "Adrian, wait."

"What? What do you want?" He spun on his heel. "Do you want to go get Jill? Go after that red-head? What?"

I stared. He'd never been this furious with me. "You know why. And yet you persist."

He strode back over and tapped the lily on my cheek. "Because of this, it's wrong. Because of what it stands for. Because of the loyalty you pledged to a society that sends people to places that breaks them if they dare to believe something other than the strict doctrine of the Alchemists. Sydney, I want you to tell me something."

His eyes, now devoid of the teasing, happy shine, stared into my soul.

"Am I wasting my time loving you? Do you even love me back? Do you even want me?"

My brow furrowed. "Adrian, of course I do. Look at you. What am I saying, you don't need to look at you. You know. You're the most intoxicating man I've ever met. You're something else."

"Undead creature of the night?" he asked, not a hint of amusement escaping.

I shook my head. "No. You're the only one I want to be with. You're the one I want to wake up next to. The one I want to laugh with and cry with and share my life. You have no idea how much it hurts me to have to push you away." I tapped the lily. "This is what forces me to. Because…" I trailed off, realising a roomful of couples who had been enjoying their dinner were now staring at us.

Our voices had been low enough that no one heard details. Adrian glanced around, grabbed me by the arm and led me out. He stopped at the front door, where people could still see us and let go of me.

"Because I believe in what the Alchemists do and who we are. There are flaws, but what system doesn't have flaws? I'm sorry, Adrian."

A sadistic, high-pitched chuckle interrupted before Adrian could reply. We both looked into the darkness. Two red eyes emerged from the night, followed by that face and the red hair. "A lovers' tiff. Ooh and it's between an Alchemist bitch and a Moroi royal asshole. Please, go on. It'll make this much more interesting."

Adrian shifted protectively, keeping himself between me and her. He was not happy about her descriptions of us. I couldn't tell if he was more furious about mine or his. "Who are you?"

She smiled. "Just someone keeping watch. Someone you don't want to piss off, if you want your precious princess back."

"You took her?" I asked. She nodded. I thought about it. She couldn't have taken Jill herself, she wouldn't have survived long enough to get to Jill outside the school. "Please, we just want her back. Why did you take a pre-teen from the library anyway?"

Adrian glanced at me, but recognised that I knew what I was doing.

She stared for a moment. "I recognised her from court."

In those five words, I knew she didn't take Jill.

Knowing she would hear if I dialled Dimitri, I took a cautious step out of Adrian's defensive net. "How can we get her back?"

"Do as you're told. You'll receive"- She let out a surprised yelp as someone tackled her from the blackness from which she emerged a moment ago.

The two figures wrestled for control of the situation, but before long the larger proved his skill. He held her down with a stake plunged into her chest and shook his head to get his hair out of his eyes. He glanced at us, revealing himself to be Dimitri.

"You're early, Belikov." Adrian sounded relieved to see his old rival.

I smiled slightly. "I'm glad you're early."

Dimitri nodded. "This is the one who has been following you?"

"Why isn't she dead?" Adrian asked.

I looked back at her. She was struggling against Dimitri's grip. I wasn't sure, but she didn't look like she was a Moroi before turning. As she couldn't break Dimitri's hold, it was most likely that she had been human.

"Because the stake isn't in her heart." Dimitri looked back into her eyes with a murderous look. "Yet."

She glared and hissed at him. He looked back at us. Adrian took a few steps closer. "Ivashkov, what are you doing? She's not a wild animal I've caught that you can come over and pet. She's a Strigoi."

"A Strigoi who has confessed to taking Jill from the library." I stared at Dimitri, hoping he would get the hint.

He stared back for a few seconds and nodded in understanding. "I see." He twisted the stake, earning a glower and groan of pain from the Strigoi. "Where is the princess?"

"She was ever so delicious."

Adrian took a deep breath.

"She's not going to tell you anything," I told Dimitri.

He nodded. "I can see that. Well, as we have no use for her, perhaps I should simply end her." He gripped the stake tighter, preparing to stab it into her heart.

"No, wait!" She struggled again.

Dimitri glared into her eyes. "Keep struggling. The stake will enter your heart on its own."

"Wait. I can...I can take you to her."

Dimitri shook his head. "She wasn't taken from the library. You didn't take her. And she was taken in broad daylight. You can't help us."

"Boris sent me to find you, Belikov."

Dimitri froze. "I don't know who you're talking about."

"Yes, you do. Boris was one of your contacts when you were awakened. He wanted me to find you to tell you he is coming for you. He figured you weren't yourself when you spoke last." She glared triumphantly at him.

He held fast, his fingers tightening on the stake. "Sydney, Adrian, go. Now."

"Dimitri, we can't kill her. Just in case she does have information we can use."

His head snapped to look at me. "I said go!" Something in his voice was very dangerous, almost homicidal.

Adrian took my arm, squeezing sensitively. He pulled at it, but even with all the commanding tones in Dimitri's voice, I wouldn't move. "Dimitri, we're not going."

Dimitri looked at me. "Sydney, this woman has killed more than you can dream of. She's a Strigoi, the vampires that both you and I are sworn to destroy"-

"I know my duty, Dimitri, and so do you! I am telling you, as the senior Alchemist on this assignment, that we may need her for more information."

He glared at me and glanced around. With one swift movement, he withdrew the silver stake from her chest, grabbed a tree branch and inserted it neatly into the no-yet-healed hole. She instantly went limp. "I hope you know what you're doing." His Russian voice was unforgiving.

So did I. Adrian frowned. "Who's Boris?"

"He is who she said he was. A contact from my past. I don't believe he saw through my bluff, but it is possible."

"The contact you used to find Sonya," I remembered aloud.

He nodded. "If he did indeed realise I was no longer awakened, I fear he may come for me."

"Alright, well, we need to get her to a secure location before she wakes."

He nodded again. "I'll take care of that." He stood and looked me in the eyes. "I will not kill her, unless she gets too close to escape. You have my word. If she escapes, it is on you, Sydney."

"I know."

Suddenly feeling self-conscious, I glanced down and remembered I had dressed for a date. I looked at Dimitri, who gave me a coy look before slinging the Strigoi over his shoulder and striding away toward a car.

I looked at Adrian. "You told him?!"

"What? No! Well… he walked in while I was making plans for tonight. I didn't realise he was there until he'd heard too much." I sighed and covered my face with my hands. "Speaking of… damn, we're too late."

I looked at him. "Late for what?"

"The next phase of the night."

I checked my watch. "Adrian, we've been at this restaurant for half an hour. You expected dinner to take less time than that at a fancy restaurant?"

"No, I expected it to take less time cause you refuse to eat more than a gopher."

I laughed. "Do you even know what or how much a gopher eats?"

"No, but I fully expect that you're going to tell me now."

I smiled and, caught up in the moment, ran a finger down his cheek, smiling flirtatiously. "I'm not that predictable."

Before I could try that move confident, beautiful women in movies do when they've shown a man just how in control they are, Adrian grabbed my hand, pulled me to him and kissed me.

[And, yes, that's where I'm going to leave it. I'm still working on the next chapter. Hopefully it will be finished and I will be onto the next chapter by next weekend. Have a good week Sydrianites :)]


	10. A Romantic Interlude

[Disclaimer: All characters, excepting those introduced by me and not by Richelle, are owned by Richelle Mead. All others are owned by me. The worldspace used is owned by Richelle Mead.]

[This chapter's only short, because I wanted to keep it Sydrian feels all the way through. Next chapter will deal with other issues, like Jill's MIA-ness and Sydney's mum. I will be introducing another plotline, but have to decide how it's going to impact before introducing it. Likely, it won't be involved until several chapters after this one. Hope you Sydrianites like this chapter :)]

I may have been entertaining the idea of the relationship with Adrian before, but after he kissed me again, all doubts whether I wanted him evaporated. I was still afraid the Alchemists would find out, but I could no longer lie to his face and tell him I thought it was wrong. I didn't honestly believe it was. I felt the perfection of the moments I had with him, as much as he did. I was giving him mixed signals and I wanted to stop.

I sunk into the embrace with Adrian, but he pulled away abruptly. My body protested and I stared at him for a moment. "Adrian?"

"I expected you to pull away and demand what I was doing," he replied sheepishly.

I smiled. "I'm sorry, Adrian." I sighed. "I can't do this anymore." The look on his face told me he was getting the wrong message from my words. I would have to be absolutely clear. "I can't keep lying to you."

Surprise lit his features.

"Lying?"

I nodded. "What you feel, I feel too. I don't think we're wrong. I… I'm just afraid what will happen to us if the Alchemists find out."

"I won't let them take you to the re-education center, Sydney." His arms curled around me protectively.

I nodded again. "I know. But if they find out, there's no stopping them." I looked away. "And they'll put Zoe in my place, or interrogate my entire family for suspicious actions or loyalties, or both." I wondered who would be given an opportunity to decide my fate like I did for Keith. I wondered if they would be merciful or cruel. I looked into Adrian's eyes and wondered if I'd ever see those emerald irises again if I went to the re-education centre.

"Come on, I'd like to show you something." He smiled in spite of our conversation and led me back to the car.

To my surprise and confusion, we parked outside Adrian's apartment building.

I looked at him just in time to see Adrian climbing out of the car. I followed suit and he led me to his apartment. As usual, his artwork adorned various spots around the living room and kitchen. "You wanted to show me something?"

He nodded and led me through the apartment to a study that seemed to be his central artistic room. There were various older works displayed about the room, but in the centre I saw something unexpected. Adrian's paintings generally were an insight into his troubled-by-spirit mind and rarely held any worldly meaning.

Yet I found myself face-to-face with, well, me. A painting of me. My hair was a little different, a little wavy and hanging free, rather than my signature ponytail. My eyes shone like the sun and the Alchemist lily on my cheek shone as well. There were various colours around me and I wondered what they meant: purples, yellows, blues...

I realised I'd been staring at it for a few minutes and I turned to look at Adrian, who was watching me with curiosity.

"This is what you wanted to show me?" He nodded. I looked back at it. "It's... me?"

He nodded again. "I wanted you to see it when it was finished, but after you told me that you feel what I feel... I couldn't wait to see your face looking at your face."

"Very funny."

He smiled. "I'm here all week."

"It's beautiful, Adrian. But why did you paint me?" I turned to look at him.

He shrugged. "I wanted to be able to see your face whenever I wanted." He stopped. "Wait, that sounded like I'm a stalker. Let me try that again."

We both chuckled.

"Uh, I... You're so beautiful, and I needed to show you. I wanted to show you what your aura looks like too." He ran a finger over the colours swirling around my face on the painting.

I stared at it, momentarily losing my fear of magic. How could something so beautiful be unnatural? I was very close to betrayal of the Alchemists, but how could I resist? I shook my head, rationality returning. I shot Adrian a smile. "It's beautiful."

"Thanks for getting me into those classes, Sage."

I nodded. I approached him cautiously, because I had no idea what to do in a romantic situation. Thankfully, he did. He pulled me to him and wrapped his arms around me. I rested my head on his chest, glad for the however brief interlude from our regularly scheduled lives.

"Adrian?"

"Hmm?"

"What's going to happen now?"

"Well, Sage, we're going to stand here while the imaginary camera that's currently staring over my shoulder at you zooms out and fades to black with sentimental mushy music and then it's gonna cut to credits."

I smiled. "I meant about our relationship."

"Ohhh. Well...we'll take it as it comes. But I'm still awaiting your decision. Remember the deal? One date and then you choose."

I nodded, breathing in the scent that was pure Adrian. A part of me never wanted to leave his arms, but still I pulled away to look at him. "Adrian, there never was a choice. I can't step back from this now. You have to stay in Palm Springs with Jill and unless I'm reassigned by the Alchemists, I'm stuck here too. I can't see you and not be with you." I hesitated. "I don't mean to sound like I'm being pressured into this. I'm not. This is my decision and I've chosen. I want to be with you, Adrian. I… I have to stop keeping things from you." I suddenly wondered if we were moving too quickly, but my mouth had gained a mind all its own. "Ever since you told me about this date, I've wanted more than just a date. I… I want the whole deal: the relationship, the commitment, the…Valentine's and the late night calls and the…the hours of sitting together without a word…"

I walked about the room as I imagined what our life could be.

"Everything we can be, I want to be."


	11. Reality Check

[Disclaimer: I don't own any characters apart from the red-haired Strigoi.]

[Sorry I've been so inactive. I recently got engaged YAY :). But I'm uploading this tiny chapter to keep you guys going while I work on the next one. If you want a SPOILER for the next chapter, read through to the end :)]

My phone buzzed in my pocket, crashing me back to reality. I pulled it out to see a text from Dimitri: 'Strigoi secure for questioning. Suggest you find a legitimate way to skip school tomorrow. We have work to do.'

I looked at Adrian, my expression betraying my feelings.

"What is it?"

I sighed. "Reality knocking at our door. Adrian, no matter what I want, we can't have the whole thing. We can barely be together. You know what will happen if any Alchemists find out."

"I know. That's why we'll be careful."

I sat down and my thought pattern picked up speed. "Adrian, I want to be with you, you know that. But I… I don't want to have to lie to people. Especially people who I've given my loyalty, my life and my family to."

"Sydney."

The power in that one word made me look at him. The concern and love in that one word made my heart beat faster and my cheeks redden.

"Right now, we have to find Jill. Then, we'll figure out what's going on with your mom. And then, and only then, we'll talk about us. There's too much going on right now to be able to focus. Come on, I'll drive you home."

He took me by the hand and, true to his word, drove me back to Amberwood. He pulled up in front of my dormitory, turned the car off and looked at me.

"Guess this is you."

I nodded. "Adrian… thank you. Tonight was special. I'll never forget."

"Tonight was amazing. Thank you, Sage."

I nodded again, smiling. "I'd better go in before I get detentions from Mrs Weathers." I turned and opened the door, preparing to get out.

"Uh…Sage?"

I looked at him, my hand still on the door. "Adrian?"

"Nothing. Just… I'll see you tomorrow."

I hesitated, not sure what I should do. I then thought of what Rose would do in this situation. While I hadn't spent that much time with her when there wasn't a quest for either of us, she was fairly predictable. I decided, for once, I would break out of my comfort zone, if only for a moment. I removed my hand from the door, leaned across the car, pulled Adrian's face to mine and kissed Adrian on the lips.

I felt his hand run through my hair and I pulled him closer. Less than a second later, my bold moment ended and I hastily pulled away.

"Goodnight Adrian," I told him as I climbed out of the car.

When I turned to look back at him, he was staring at me with that crooked grin. His green eyes pierced my soul. "Night, Sydney."

Mrs Weathers barely noticed as I strolled past her, well after curfew, and into my dorm room. I changed into my pyjamas and curled up in my blanket. My stomach was whirling and my heart was beating quickly. I found myself smiling for no reason. I soon fell asleep.

[So, you want the spoiler? Well, just to be sure, keep reading.]

[Really? Okay here it is:]

[Rose will be attending Amberwood Prep. Well, not as a student, but yeah. It was originally going to be my joining point for a Romitri fanfic, but I can't write two stories and have them coincide like that. I'll probably write Romitri at before this story, or maybe at after.]


	12. A Magical Solution

[Disclaimer: I don't own any of this, except the current plotlines and new characters I introduce that Richelle didn't create.]

[Sorry it's been so long, finances and work have been stressing me out so I didn't have time to update. I hope you like and please shoot me a review, cause I love reading your opinions :) ]

In the morning, I expected a knock on the door from Jill wanting to talk to me about the date with Adrian last night, but my hopes were dashed as I remembered her situation. I stretched and yawned, feeling unusually happy.

I checked my phone for the time, but instead found a message from Adrian. _Odd. He must have sent it after he dropped me off._

"Listen, I didn't mean a lot of the stuff I said last night. Call me and I'll explain."

I smiled. I still had time to either feign sickness and get permission to pass on school, or make up that the police were now involved in Jill's disappearance. I decided to feign sickness, because if the police were involved, they would come to the school. It was the last place Jill had been seen.

About half an hour went past after the bell for school until someone knocked on my door. I made a point to wait a minute, knock something over loudly, cough and weakly open the door.

To a confused Adrian. "Uh, Sage? You alright?"

I smiled. "Um…" I glanced around him to see if Mrs Weathers or anyone else from the school was there.

"Just me. No need to lie."

I nodded. "I'm fine. I thought you were someone coming to check why I wasn't at school."

"Right. Interesting costume."

I looked down and made a face. I was still wearing the outfit from last night. "Uh, give me a minute to change."

"I'll be waiting in the parking lot. Don't worry, the warden's been dealt with." He turned and walked away.

"Wait, dealt with? What did you say?" I moved to follow him, but stopped and thought better of it. I changed quickly, reapplied my makeup and brushed my hair before following him.

I caught up to Adrian near Mrs Weathers' desk.

"What's going on, Adrian?" I asked quietly, hoping Mrs Weathers wasn't going to ask why I was out of my dorm and not in school.

"Oh, Sydney, dear. You look lovely today." I looked at her surprised.

"Um, thanks."

She smiled and turned back to her computer. I looked at Adrian. "Long story. Belikov's got some stuff he wants you to do. I, on the other hand, have the delightful duty of following the Eddie fan club around today."

"Eddie fan club?"

He rolled his eye. "Angeline."

Oh. I followed him to the car, but stopped as I saw a girl approaching the school office. She looked familiar.

"Adrian, who's that?"

He looked at me and then looked at the girl, shrugging. "No idea."

I had a hunch I knew who it was, so I approached her. I reached the office after she had walked in. "If you just fill this out here..." the receptionist told her.

The girl nodded and filled out the sheet. I walked over suspiciously.

"Hello there, Miss Melrose." The receptionist smiled at me.

I nodded with a smile and turned back to the girl. She had dark hair and was about my height. She handed the sheet back to the receptionist who handed her a visitor sticker.

She turned around, sticking the visitor sticker on her jeans, and looked up at me with a grin. "Surprise, Syd!" Rose held up her arms.

I blinked, momentarily taken off-guard. "Rose? What are you doing here?"

"Surprising you for your birthday!" She grinned and mouthed 'play along'.

I hesitated and my mind kicked back into gear. "I can't believe it. Does anyone else know you're here?"

"Nope. Just wanted to check in with you guys to see how boarding school is going."

I frowned. "Rose, Amberwood Prep isn't boarding school"-

"Yeah, yeah. Come on." She took me by the arm and began to lead me out. "Thanks for all your help," she called over our shoulders at the receptionist.

Once we were outside, Rose let go of me quickly. "Sorry for the surprise. Dimitri tried your phone after I left him at the home of Russian Gardeners, but I guess he couldn't get through."

"Rose, what are you really doing here? I thought not only you were supposed to be protecting the queen, but you weren't supposed to know where Jill is."

Rose nodded. "Liss has other guardians. I know Jill and I might be some help. Besides, I still don't know where she is."

"You know she's missing?" I was momentarily shocked, until I remembered Dimitri must have told her.

She nodded again. "Yeah well, there's not much I can't get out of Dimitri. I'm here to check out the Moroi scene."

"If Eddie can't spot a Moroi, what makes you think you can?"

She grinned slyly. "**I'm** not going to spot **them**. **They're** going to spot **me**." When I blinked in confusion, she sighed. "My face is known across Moroi society cause of Tatiana's murder, right? If anyone reacts to seeing me, I'll check them out."

"Uh, that's a great idea, Rose." I didn't think that Adrian and Rose being in such close proximity was a good thing. "But...Adrian's here. He's going to be following Angeline around her classes today looking for Moroi."

"Auras?" I nodded. "Right. Well, do you have Angeline's schedule?" I shook my head.

"You can go and see her now. Adrian's going to be dropping me at Dimitri's before coming back."

Rose nodded. "Alright. Thanks for the heads-up, Sydney. By the way, you look good. Healthy, even." She grinned and headed into the school.

I shook my head with a smile before returning to Adrian. "Sorry."

"Someone you know?" he asked, opening the door for me.

I nodded. "Uh, it was..."

I contemplated telling him it was Rose. Likely he would react badly. I then considered lying to him. To those green eyes. I shook my head, clearing it of those thoughts. If he found out later that I knew Rose was in Palm Springs and I didn't tell him, he would be angry with me. My conscience won.

"It was... Rose. She's here to find the secret Moroi at the school."

I watched his face. His brow crinkled into a frown. His eyes sparkled with old feelings of hurt and love. He blinked them away and looked at me.

"Really. Interesting. Milady," he offered the passenger seat to me.

I took it, pulling on my seatbelt. I watched him walk around to his side of the car, climb in and we drove out of the carpark.

"Adrian?"

He ignored me. "You know, Angeline's...she's got Eddie and between them they can probably spot any Moroi. I don't think they'll need any spiritual help."

"Adrian."

Again, he pretended to take no notice. "Besides, Belikov's gonna need our help. And Jill, well, we need to find her more than we need to find this secret Moroi."

"Adrian."

"What do you want me to say, Sage? That I don't want to see Rose? That I still hurt from her rejection? That I'm avoiding her?" he turned to glance at me.

I stared. "I'm trying to keep you from getting hurt. I told you that she was here because you would hate me more if I lied."

"Great. My girlfriend's friends with my ex and she's trying to keep me from getting hurt..." I tuned out after he called me his girlfriend.

His girlfriend. That was what he called me.

"Adrian?" I had a feeling I'd interrupted him because he abruptly gave me a glare. "Did you just call me your girlfriend?"

"Yes. Look, I"- He cut himself off, staring at the road. "I did. Girlfriend," he said, grinning. He glanced at me. "I'm going out with Sydney Sage."

My heart swelled and I involuntarily smiled back at him.

My phone buzzed and I reluctantly answered it. "Yes?"

"Sydney?"

My eyes widened and I put a hand on Adrian's arm. He looked at me. "Jill, are you alright? Tell me where you are."

"I don't know. It's dark. It... There's blood here. I don't know how much or whose, but there's blood. I'm so hungry."

I nodded. "Jill, it's alright. We're going to find you. If there's anything you can tell me about who took you or where they took me, it'll help."

Adrian pulled over and I put the phone on speaker.

"Um..." She sniffled and it sounded like she was close to losing it. "You're not near me."

I frowned at that, until I remembered her bond to Adrian. I suddenly felt guilty for spending that time with Adrian not looking for her.

"I'm...I haven't eaten since breakfast. But I feel so hungry."

"You've been gone a few days, Jailbait. What do you see?" Adrian asked, trying to keep his frustration and worry out of his voice.

She started sobbing. "Uh... I don't know. Adrian, it's really dark here. There's a window, but it's really dark. Sometimes things go past it, but I can't see them. There's"- she suddenly cut off.

"Jill?!" Adrian's breath caught.

"I'm okay... someone's coming. Adrian, help me."

He nodded. "Jill, I'm coming! We'll find you, I promise."

The phone cut off and he climbed out, slamming the door behind him. I got out too, but left my door open.

"Adrian?"

He picked up a rock and threw it as far as it would go. "She's hurt and she's scared and...and I can't do anything about it!"

"We'll find her, Adrian."

He spun around to look at me. I could see his temper flaring. "That's not enough! I shouldn't have lost her in the first place! She's all alone, she's in danger and she's terrified. I'm supposed to be taking care of her, Sydney! I… I feel so helpless."

I walked over, pushing my fear of his temper to the backseat, and took him by the shoulders. "Adrian. We will find her. She may not be completely fine, but we'll save her. Trust me."

"You don't know that!"

I stared into his eyes and realised he hadn't had a cigarette, and he probably hadn't drunk anything yet. "Adrian, you're dipping into spirit."

"So? I need to be able to control my magic if I'm going to find her!"

I shook my head as he pulled away and climbed back into the car. I followed him and pulled the keys out before he could restart the car. He glared up at me. "Give me those keys back."

"Adrian, you need to be able to keep yourself under control. Jill will be fine. Have a cigarette."

He continued glaring at me as my phone began ringing again. I grabbed it out. "Jill?!"

"Sorry," the Russian voice on the other end apologised.

I sighed. "Dimitri. What's up?"

"I thought Adrian would have dropped you here by now. Where are you?"

"We got a call from Jill. We'll tell you the rest when we get there. Did you send Rose to Amberwood?"

He hesitated and I imagined him smiling that smile he wore when he thought about her. "Yes. It's unlikely that any Moroi haven't seen her face at least once before. And if someone is checking her out unusually, she will notice. If she doesn't, Angeline will. While I've got you on the phone, what is Adrian doing today?"

"Uh, originally he was going to follow Angeline and look at auras. But now he's…uh, we've decided to concentrate on finding Jill."

Dimitri made an acknowledging sound. "Alright. I'll hold down the fort here and interrogate our prisoner. Call me if you get a whiff. I'll ask Rose, Eddie and Angeline to call me if they get any leads."

"Sure. We'll talk later."

Dimitri said his goodbye and we disconnected. I looked at Adrian who was holding an unlit cigarette, staring off into the distance.

"Adrian?"

He shook his head and lit his cigarette. He then moved until the smoke wasn't being blown towards me and looked at me.

"I was thinking," he mused quietly, "if Jill loses consciousness, I can dreamwalk. Try and figure out where she is, or something about her captors."

I nodded. "Sure." I suddenly felt a little uneasy. "Uh, do you want to try it now?"

I noticed that he hadn't actually put the cigarette in his mouth yet. He nodded and put the cigarette out, throwing it in a nearby trashcan. He sat down in the backseat of the car and closed his eyes. I sat in the drivers seat, waiting.


End file.
